Part of the American History & Genealogy Project

Jane Lathrop Stanford 1835 ~ 1905

Jane Lathrop Stanford

Mrs. Jane Lathrop Stanford was born in Albany, New York, August 25, 1825. Mrs. Stanford is well known as the wife of Leland Stanford, of California. During the early years of Mr. Stanford's struggle and varying fortunes, she proved herself a worthy helpmeet and is one of the type of American women produced by the early days of California's mining history.

Mrs. Stanford's public career commenced when Mr. Stanford was elected governor of California in 1861. Mr. Stanford occupied different positions of prominence and was finally elected United States Senator from his state, California. After the death of their only child, Leland Stanford, Jr., Mrs. Stanford and her husband erected to the memory of this boy the university which bears his name. The "Leland Stanford, Jr., University" at Palo Alto, their country seat, situated about thirty miles from San Francisco. Not a building of this great university was erected without Mrs. Stanford's advice and wishes being consulted. She erected at her own individual expense a museum which contained works of art and a most valuable collection of curios gathered during their tours in foreign lands. Much of this was lost at the time of the great earthquake a few years ago.

The entire estate of Mr. Stanford and that of his wife at her death were left to endow this great university. Mrs. Stanford was a generous friend to the many charitable institutions of San Francisco. Though a woman of such strong personality, she had one of the tenderest hearts and the deepest sympathy for those in trouble. To such women the Pacific coast owes much of its development and growth. Mrs. Stanford's death occurred in 1905.

Women of America

Source: The Part Taken by Women in American History, By Mrs. John A. Logan, Published by The Perry-Nalle Publishing Company, Wilmington, Delaware, 1912.